


not to worry, we're still flying half a plotline!

by superpear8



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen, drama alert, the groose is loose, this starts out with some link/pipit but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 20:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14961614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpear8/pseuds/superpear8
Summary: “my BOYFRIEND!” link yells, banging the door to the boss room open with one foot, “DUMPED ME! I’M READY, YOU DEMON FUCKER!! COME AT ME!!!”“what,” from the shadowy expanse comes a familiar drawl, “you think that’s MY fault somehow?”“NO!!! BUT I WANT TO FIGHT SOMETHING!!!”





	1. another happy landing

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this like 3 months ago when i was stuck at college with no wii and was thinkling very hard about skyward sword and how much i missed it, and this was spawned as a result. left untouched from 4/20 till now, with the exception of a few touch-ups, here it is! pls note: had gotten to lanaryu desert and hadn’t even entered the mining facility yet, so i had no clue what was going to go down in the game

“that should work...” impa mumbles half to herself, adjusting zelda’s sleeve so that it sits right.

“are you sure about this, impa? i look kinda stupid.”

they have stopped for the night in a village impa knows and trusts. the innkeeper is an old friend of hers, a fellow trainee gone rogue in search of another purpose. turns out, she likes keeping inns. it also turns out that she does a fantastic job, and the room in which they were placed has all the amenities a teenage girl and her guardian could ever need. it has a sink! it has a mirror! it has two luxuriously padded beds (that don’t have bedbugs probably! impa checks. zelda’s doesn’t)! it has a window (which impa immediately curtains off)! there’s a mini-fridge  _ and _ a writing desk!

“no!” impa blinks out of her distraction to look the girl in the eye. “no, no, you don’t look stupid! and even if you did, that’s the least of your worries right now!” the guardian tries for a smile. judging by the way zelda looks back at her, it has failed.  _ she can never smile right these days... _

“ahem,” impa lets the expression drop. “it is paramount that you wear a white dress of this particular cut, for your awakening to be as streamlined as possible. you do not look stupid. you  _ look _ like the goddess’s chosen.”

“well, i  _ feel _ stupid. how about that?”

impa sits down on her bed and sighs, putting her head in her hands. “ok. you’re allowed.”

when she looks back up, zelda is examining the dress more carefully in the room’s mirror.

“well... it is kinda pretty. in the plain way.” zelda does a twirl, and the thing billows out like a sail. “nice and airy. i could get used to it. and it’s pretty soft, for an ancient magic gown.”

“oh no, that dress isn’t ancient.” zelda turns around to look at her, confused. “once we took notice of the evil encroaching once more upon this fair land, we had it fashioned for the next bearer of the... i mean, that is, the princess. you.”

“ah.” zelda nods, processing this information. she turns back to face the mirror, looking at the dress even more carefully than before. “i was wondering why it seemed so clean.”

“only the purest of silks for the spirit maiden. white as the virgin snow, for the vir—”

“okay, okay!” zelda flushes. “you don’t have to call me out like that! i’m trying my best!”

“wh—OH MY LORD.” impa laughs genuinely for what feels like the first time in years. “NO, YOUR HIGHNESS, I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE--” she’s bent almost entirely at the waist at this point, one hand on her knee and the other madly slapping her own thigh. “AS A ROAST!! THAT’S—” she can’t control her cackling!  _ this is unbecoming of someone of her status! _

eventually, she calms down.  _ goddess, that felt good. _ “they’re just words that’ve been passed down. i’m sure the goddess will smile upon your...”

“noooo....”

“...sometime soon, after this mess is sorted out.” impa shifts where she sits, face still hurting from the sudden influx of laughter. “anyway, what say you to some dinner?”

zelda gets over her embarrassment almost immediately at the mention of food. “i would love some!”

they’re serving pumpkin soup, and it’s all zelda can do to not think sadly of home.

\---

“BAE!!!”

pipit twists around to look. as soon as he sees the green-clad figure bounding towards him, his face lights up in a brilliant grin.

“link!!” pipit laughs, stepping towards him, arms open. link runs right into them, is spun around in a tight embrace, and then kissed sweetly. the gaggle of upperclassmen that pipit has been standing in the yard with all groan. thankfully, the couple’s disgusting pda only lasts 5 seconds, tops.

“oh, i missed you!”

“where have you BEEN?”

link is silent, smile weaning off his face. he’s been through so much in these past few days, and it isn’t even close to being over yet.

“bet you were off larping” teases karane, mock-punching link on the arm.

“heh! yeah, larping!” he says quickly, “you know me! i can’t keep myself away from them swords!”

“well, i’m glad you’re back safe.” pipit murmurs, hand patting link’s shoulder reassuringly.

“we all are!” says that one wimpy kid that  _ link never learned his name oh god. sorry buddy! _

“haha, thanks guys...” link says sweatily.  _ safe? please _ ... “anyways, i’m beat. gonna go chill out for a while, see you guys later!” he gives pipit a meaningful look, and the yellow-clad boy breaks off from the rest of the group to follow him.

they’re sitting on link’s bed with the door locked before he even looks up at pipit.

“i wasn’t larping.”

“yeah, no duh. you’re way too banged up for that.” pipit says, indicating the fresh bandages that cover about 20% of link’s visible skin. “real swords’ll do that, man. “what  _ happened _ out there, link?”

link’s can’t tell him. not everything. but he’s fairly certain the fight stuff isn’t off-limits, just the magic goddess stuff. pipit’s eyes grow wider the more he talks, and eventually, when the tears begin to flow, link finds himself held by the older boy.

“...and you have to  _ swear  _ you won’t tell  _ anyone _ .” link sniffles, and wipes his nose on his sleeve. “that means  _ anyone _ .”

“my lips are sealed.” pipit says solemnly.

link looks at his serious face for a few more seconds, and drops his head onto pipit’s chest with a sigh.

“thank you,” he mumbles.

silence reigns for a moment, before pipit pipes up. “you’re... going to have to leave again soon, aren’t you?”

“mm-hm.” link nods into his chest. he straightens up and looks pipit in the face apologetically. his tears are mostly dry, for now. “i have to, pipit. i’m the only one that can do this. i’m the only one that can save her.”

pipit frowns. “i get that this is a responsibility you got from the principal and all, but... if it ever feels like too much, you can always come back here to skyloft.” his gaze sharpens. “and find me. i’m your upperclassman, and a knight of the realm! i’ll  _ protect _ you.”

“pipit...” link lets out a tiny laugh, and leans in to peck him on the lips. “thank you.”

pipit grins. “anytime!”

there’s not much more to be said, so they spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying one another’s company. it’s dinnertime by the time they venture outside, and are greeted in the dining hall by wiggly eyebrows and whistles. link grins up at pipit, eyes finally dry and spirits soaring.  _ for now. _

“hey. hey, i know that face...” pipit says, realization dawning.

“here come the lovebirds!” groose is there, and he looks like shit. his jeering is jealous, and it seems he’s not even put-together enough to hide it. it  _ seems _ like he hasn’t slept.

“we weren’t—! we just—! he just—! we were—!” pipit turns scarlet under his freckles, which is adorable, and hilarious, and link laughs with the rest of the hall. groose looks like he hadn’t been instigating a joke at all, and instead of feeling proud he looks sullen.

“c’mon, pipit. there was a little canoodling involved.” link says quietly as they take their seats with the rest of the upperclassmen.

“canoodling?!”

“yeah, you know. making out—”

“stop right there!”

the small table shares a little chortle. when dinner is ready, they all get up to get some in a less-than-orderly fashion, as hungry teens do. link is starving. he’s had no solid food since the last of his bread ran out, and chugging heart potions for almost 24 hours straight makes for a very hungry boy. by the time he’s sitting at the table with a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup and a thick slice of pumpkin bread, courtesy of pumpkin island (which link had  _ definitely  _ not visited and  _ most definitely  _ not broken the chandelier at, no  _ sir! _ ), it’s taking a monumental effort not to immediately inhale everything on his plate. thankfully, everyone else seems eager to dig in, so he feasts. and  _ what a feast it is _ ... link can feel years being added on to his life for eating this stuff.

“so larp-boy, tell us about this adventure of yours!” karane says after a long drink of soup.

“well,” link glances at pipit. “it went mostly ok! there was this one guy, who didn’t have any eyebrows! i don’t know if it was natural, or if he shaved them off! can you believe it??”

“oh, ew! that’s horrible!”

“i know, right! and don’t even get me started on his outfit.” link scoffs, “let’s just say he puts the ‘ho’ in ‘horrendous’.”

“what, what was he wearing?” says that cowardly kid from that one time  _ oh goddess link still doesn’t know his name _

“slutty. footy. pajamas.”

the table erupts in laughter and loud expressions of disgust that pierce the ordinary noise level of the semi-crowded hall. groose shoots them a glare from two tables over, where he sits with his two cronies and has barely touched his food.

they’re starting to calm down when a loud clanging gets their attention. the headmaster is making an appearance at the entrance to the room, and has banged on a pot loudly enough to shake the soup in their bowls.

“greetings, students! i know you have tried very hard this last semester, and deserve a break!”

a murmur of agreement passes over the crowd. link realizes with a jolt that he’s missed  _ finals week  _ while out on his quest. he deflates almost as suddenly when he remembers that winning the wing ceremony race had guaranteed him graduation, and that he didn’t need to take any finals.  _ plus _ , he surmises,  _ fighting a demon lord and almost getting eaten by giant spiders is bound to teach me more than some dumb test! and it’s not nearly as stressful as one! _

“however,” gaepora continues, and the students all groan. “next semester begins one month from wednesday! i hope to see you all in class and ready to learn!” the upperclassmen look smug. they don’t need to take any more  _ boring  _ classes. all they’ve got is practical training, from here on out. and now link is among them! he tries to wink cheekily at groose from across the hall, but the ginger boy has his face in his soup.

link smirks anyway.

“that is all! enjoy your break!”

there’s some scattered clapping from the students, and the principal takes his leave. link stays for the rest of dinner, and retires immediately after, scarcely taking off his boots before he crashes face-first into his pillow and is out like a light.

the next day dawns cheerfully as ever. the loftwings are singing. the sun is shining.

link doesn’t suspect a thing.

he rises when he rises, and makes his way back to the dining hall for some breakfast. along the way, he encounters a few scattered students, who offer him hellos when he waves. his plan for today is some serious r&r. after the week he’s just had, he needs it! he’s going to  _ socialize! _ he’s going to go  _ shopping!  _ he’s going to  _ beat the shit out of some training dummies! _

smiling at the thought of the day ahead of him, he walks from the kitchen with a bowl of oatmeal, noticing groose in the corner, who seems to have also just woken up and to be in a particularly bad mood. link’s in such a  _ good mood _ that he decides to take his chances with the mopey boy.  _ maybe something funny will happen! and if not, maybe i can help him feel better! _

“hey, groose! what say ye to some oatmeal?” link takes the seat across from him.

groose gives him a look that could melt steel beams. “buzz off, green bean,” he grumbles.

said green bean just smiles and starts eating.  _ worth a shot. _

he finishes in silence, and is getting up to leave when a grabby hand on his arm stops him.

“um, i have a boyfriend!” link asserts, affronted.

groose glares at link again, before looking past him and scowling at whatever he sees there. link turns enough to see what it is, and, lo and behold, there stands pipit, looking cute as ever, if a little shifty.  _ of course he’s shifty, with this big mean motherfucker giving him the death stare like that! _ “i heard him last night. that pipit’s up to something.” groose spits under his breath, not looking up, thus not catching link’s confusion.  _ up to what?! and why is groose trying to... to help me?? _

“thank you for letting me know.” link starts to wiggle out of the red-haired boy’s hold. “i’ll just be... going now...”

“listen to me, you shrimpy motherfucker!” groose tightens his fist urgently, “i may hate your guts but ... watch your ass out there!”

“gee, thanks.” groose finally lets him go. “bye, groose.”

groose must see his point completely fail to get across, and it sinks him deeper into his bad mood. he crosses his arms and slumps away from link, fully intending to ignore the world for however long it takes.

link, on the other hand, has not skipped a beat and is now walking out into the sunshine with pipit. they head for the lake, chattering back and forth about nothing in particular, as fully-fledged knights and mail loftwings soar overhead. all their friends (save zelda... he’ll be back for her. he will. tomorrow.) are already there, either splashing or being stupid by the waterfalls.  _ ah, summer break, how i’ve missed you... _ link thinks to himself. it’s  _ really _ not the same without zelda around. if she were here, they’d be hanging out, riding their birds, collecting bugs together, and  _ goddess he’d do anything to have her back safe _ —link takes in a deep breath.  _ can’t think about that right now. gotta relax. gotta CHILL. zelda’s life depends on it! _

“...and that’s why jumping from the waterfall is a bad idea!”

“oh, i agree.” link agrees.

“anyway, wanna go jump off the waterfall?”

“wait, what??”

“just seeing if you were paying attention!” pipit laughs cheekily, though he still seems on edge from before. groose’s words come back to haunt link for a split second. he pushes them away in favor of greeting everyone. they’re playing a sports game, and both boys join in. the better part of link’s morning is spent splashing around like an idiot, and it soothes him almost as much as flying would. he can’t even imagine how shitty his life would be right now if he were a poor swimmer!

eventually, the itch to fly gets to be too much for him, and he runs off to change into drier clothes and get a quick snack. pipit has come along as well, for the same reason. plus, as a bird expert and enthusiast, he always welcomes having more time to spend among loftwings. they leap from the nearest platform, reckless as ever, and are soon soaring through the air, borne on warm summer winds above the clouds. there’s no conversation to be had like this, but link doesn’t feel like they need it. the whistling of wind in his ears is a welcome substitute.

they fly over the entirety of skyloft, doing some good tricks (like spinning, for instance), and once they’re outside the town’s borders they try nailing the boosties for some extra speed. it’s exhilarating, and incredibly satisfying to do just for the heck of it. it is such an enjoyable activity, in fact, that link spends the literal entire rest of the day doing just that, before the sun begins to set and pipit waves him over, pointing to the top of the light tower as a landing spot. acquiescing with a thumbs-up, link whips out zelda’s sail to make a smooth-as-butter landing, pipit setting down nearby with his own sail.

“ah...” he sighs, “such a beautiful night.”

“you know what else is beautiful?” link grins, leaning on the railing.

pipit immediately goes from moderately relaxed to totally tense. “haha... okay, see, i need to talk to you about something.”

again, groose’s warning flashes unbidden through link’s mind. “yeah? okay, what’s up?” he says, concerned.

pipit takes a deep breath.

\----

“my BOYFRIEND!” link yells, banging the door to the boss room open with one foot, “DUMPED ME! I’M READY, YOU DEMON FUCKER!! COME AT ME!!!”

“what,” from the shadowy expanse comes a familiar drawl, “you think that’s MY fault somehow?”

“NO!!! BUT I WANT TO  _ FIGHT SOMETHING!!! _ ”

ghirahim sparkles out of thin air, immediately too far into link’s personal space. “well. that can be arranged.” he bitchslaps link across the face so hard, his whole body is slamming against the stone wall quicker than he can even register the blow. he crumples to the floor, ears ringing, head feeling instantly spinnier than when he’d come in seconds earlier.

he’s on his feet as quickly as he dares. ghirahim is there twice as quickly, and is grabbing link’s sword with a villainous laugh. a  _ thieving  _ laugh.

“hey!” link grunts, offended, and whips his shield out just in time to block a harsh thrust from his own weapon. “s’mine!”

“ooh, maybe i hit you a little too hard,” ghirahim covers his mouth daintily with one gloved hand, the other attempting to stab link with the sword. “where did that pretty tongue of yours go?”

“shh!!” link grits out, attempting to shield bash the sword out of his hand. “shhadup! knew this was a m’stake...”

“what? fighting me?” ghirahim laughs, “puny hero. of course it was a mistake! one for which you will pay” a particularly savage blow knocks the shield out of link’s hands, “most dearly.”

the sword is now to his throat. he peers down its length at the wielder, gears turning rapidly in his head despite the dizziness from that initial slap.

just as he’s about to move, a sudden call startles the both of them into stillness.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!”

it’s impa! with zelda! link’s not sure if he should be relieved or afraid. while impa can and will kick the shit out of anyone,  _ zelda’s _ also now here, and she’s in danger.

impa pushes zelda out of the room through the back exit. “outta here, princess. it’s time to throw the fuck down”

“hey, wait—” zelda protests at being (wo)manhandled. she spots link, and spots that he’s in danger, and spots the spotting now growing on the back of his green hat. “link! you’re bleeding!”

“wh—” link starts, but ghirahim’s recovered from the surprise and is holding the sword even closer to his neck, giving it a little graze to show he means business. link can tell he’s doing this to make him sweat, and by hylia it’s  _ working _ . the back of his head feels particularly sweaty. what did zelda just say again?

impa’s picking zelda up around the middle and depositing her as gently as possible outside the temple doors. it’s no easy task, but she manages it in time to bound up the ramp and start engaging ghirahim in a battle.

“can’t believe i have to do this!” impa grumbles, matching ghirahim blow-for-blow, easy as anything, “always cleaning up your damned messes!” she does a backflip ”useless!” she twists link’s sword out of ghirahim’s hand, sending it flying into the air. “stupid!” she catches the sword. “hat boy!”

“hey! i got  _ dumped _ yesterday, i’m NOT IN THE MOOD!” link snatches his sword up and fights ghirahim again. he’s maybe winning. he thinks.

impa scoffs, and flips her head to the side. _ she doesn’t give a shit. _ “yeah, okay, hero.”

she turns back around to gaze at link, and sees ghirahim no longer there. link’s been swinging at empty air.  _ wow, maybe i hit my head harder than i thought! _

they both come to the same conclusion at the same time, and yell, “ZELDA!”

“how could we have been so stupid?!” link groans as they dash outside.

“this is YOUR FAULT!” impa shoots back. they throw the doors open to find ghirahim outside with zelda. “get away from her!” she cries, doing a screaming 480° frontflip towards ghirahim’s head.

“gh!” the demon lord fizzles out just in time, reappearing several feet away.

the warrior woman engages him in a fistfight so quick that even ghirahim is having trouble teleporting out of the way in time. eventually, she pops him in the nose enough times that he’s had enough.

“this ISN’T the last you’ll see of me, puny humans!” ghirahim cries after teleporting to the top of the door frame, making them all turn around to look up at him. “i’m plotting something you three can’t even begin to fathom! and when it’s finished, none of this will even matter!” he throws his head back and laughs, and laughs, and fades out, and keeps laughing as he’s fading out, and leaves behind a quickly-dissipating rain of sparkles.

zelda’s the first to break the ensuing silence, with the  _ whoosh _ of a breath she’d been holding. “okay, WHO. the hell was that”

“he’s the one who made that tornado thingy! remember? when we were out on our joyride?” link explains.

“oh shit.” she says, eyes widening. “impa, why didn’t you tell me?!”

impa’s silent, lips in a straight line.

“impa!”

“channeling the power of the goddess is a very sensitive business! if ANYTHING were to break your focus, or upset you too much, the whole thing would go to hell!”

zelda scrunches her nose in thought at this. she sees the wisdom in impa’s decision, and still doesn’t like being left in the dark, but decides it isn’t worth it to stay overly mad about it. just a little mad will do. “okay, but no more secrets like this, all right? i need to know what i’m getting into if i’m going to... to save the world! or whatever!”

“all right. i’m a scorpio, i prefer boxers over briefs, my favori--”

“gah! i don’t need to know THAT stuff! what the heck!”

impa’s fucking with them. zelda thinks it’s kinda funny. link’s a little mad, a little confused, and starting to feel woozier as the adrenaline wears off. his head itches.

“um”, link interrupts, “so like, there’s probably a chest back in there and stuff. i’m gonna go. um. open it.”

“oh link!” zelda laughs. “i know how much you love opening chests! you get this look on your face...”

when he gets to the chest, he indeed makes the face. zelda follows him inside, impa trailing in after her.

“you came in here wanting to hit something,” impa muses, “you sure hit the hell out of that wall.”

“you SAW that?” link jolts. “and you didn't... i don't know...  _ help?! _ ”

“sure, i helped! i mean,” she snorts, “i laughed first. priorities, you know?”

“pri–...!” link’s too affronted for words.

“did pipit really break up with you, link?” zelda asks after her guardian is finished riling the boy up. she looks so earnest that link can't find it in himself to be mad at her for the reminder.

“yeah...” link sighs, shoving his hat aside to scratch at his head, “i... don't want to talk about it.”

zelda stares.  _ was that a weird thing to say?  _ link’s confused, then realizes that she's staring at the hand he was just scratching with.

his fingernails are bloody.

“l...link!” zelda cries, coming over to inspect his head. impa strides over less quickly, but is whipping out her first-aid kit as soon as she sees the wound. it’s less of a kit and more of a... single heart potion. which is probably not the full extent of her supplies, judging by the... wraps? she wears?  _ gee whiz _ , link can barely think.

impa shoves the glass bottle into his hand. “you should drink this.” for once, link agrees with her. he slugs the whole thing down in three massive gulps, and immediately feels better. impa looks at the back of his head again, peeling the hair away to reveal the breakage completely healed up. she hums in satisfaction, and abruptly starts to leave with zelda.

“we have places to be, princess. let’s go.”

“ah, wai--goodbye, link! this’ll all be over soon.” zelda assures, meeting link’s eyes from underneath her bangs.

“let’s hope so!” link waves, and they’re gone.

now that he’s alone with his thoughts with no puzzles or peril to distract him, he wonders what’s next. he weighs his stone prize in his hands, the inlaid gem glimmering like the lake on a sunny day. another piece of the tablet means another area to explore, another set of adventures for him to overcome, and another region to restore. he doesn’t have to think about  _ anything _ while he’s getting through  _ that _ .

that is, anything to do with his recently acquired status as a single shingle.

he can hear groose now.  _ ‘oh, poor link! no one would want to be with a dope like you! i’m surprised it lasted this long in the first place!’ _ he’d jeer, and maybe punctuate it with a  _ ‘oh yeah! and did i mention? you’re STUPID!’ _

and it’s  _ true. _ how could he have been so  _ stupid?! _ how could he have  _ trusted _ someone like that?! he’d thought pipit a good lad, a  _ fine _ lad. he’d thought a LOT of things!

it’s time to stop thinking a lot of things.

link’s riding his loftwing along a cool, skyloft-bound wind before he knows it. a pit-stop at the goddess statue is absolutely necessary, and he needs to gear up again at the bazaar, but that is the extent to which he intends to stay up here. any chance of running into pipit is  _ too much of a chance _ . link has had his head smashed in by a grown man in footy pajamas today, he doesn’t have the strength to deal with his breakup, too.

he lands by the gate at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the statue garden. he looks left and right, sees no sign of his former bae, and lets out a held breath.

“hey, link! you’re back!”

the sudden sound of karane’s voice has link jumping clean out of his skin.  _ mission failed. we’ll get em next time _ .

“heyy... karane...!” link slaps on a smile and hopes he seems jovial enough to avoid moving the conversation towards...

“do you know what’s up with pipit? he’s been acting really weird lately!”

_ mission failed. we’ll get em next time _ .

“has he, then?” link can feel his facade crumbling, and looks for an out  _ fast _ . “well, i don’t know anything about that, karane! if there’s nothing else, i’ll just--”

“wait, hey! you’re his--”

“what??” link interrupts. “i’m his WHAT, karane??”

she blinks at him for a moment, puzzled at the reaction, before it clicks in her head. “ohh... OHHH... oh my  _ goddess _ link! you... you broke up?”

“it... didn’t work out.”

“well, if you ever need to talk to someone, us upperclassmen would be happy to help. knights are supposed to protect the people! and that means other knights, too!”

link lets out a hollow laugh.  _ doesn’t THAT sound familiar _ ... “i’ll keep it in mind. thanks, karane.”

“you’re welcome lil dude.” karane claps his shoulder, and starts meandering back towards the flight academy from whence she came.

another  _ whoosh _ of held breath let out, another day. link practically flies up the stairs to the statue, anxious of meeting anyone on his way that could delay him even one second. he manages to get the next portal up and running without further incident, surveying his work proudly from the edge.

_ now for the hard part. _

it’s bound to be crowded in town this time of day, this time of year. flight academy’s out for the summer, and everyone who isn’t in summer school or working a job is probably hanging out outside. or training outside. or training inside, which link hopes against hope is what pipit is doing right now.

“hey link! you’re back!”

_ fucking WHY  _ “heEy, pipit!” link’s voice DEFINITELY doesn’t crack.

“what’s up? doing some... shopping?”

they’re standing outside the bazaar.  _ no, i’m getting my fucking teeth waxed. what does it look like i’m doing?! _ “yep!”

they stare at each other for a few seconds.

“nice day today, isn’t it?” pipit observes.

“yeah. real nice day.” link shifts on his feet.

“um, so listen...”  _ i’m all FUCKEN ears, PIPIT! _ “i need a favor.”  _ ARE YOU SHITTING ME. _

“ARE YOU SHITTING ME.”

“i’m sorry! i need you to talk to karane for me!”

“YOU-- what?” link stops yelling. he’s temporarily confused, and therefore distracted from his anger.

“whenever i’m around her, i just! get all weird! i can’t face her, you know?”

“don’t try to relate to me, pipit.” link says tiredly. his rage is beginning to build once more. “what you’re saying is -- you need me, your  _ ex _ , to talk to a girl,  _ for you _ , because you,  _ can’t talk to her _ , because you,  _ have a crush on her _ , and you,  _ broke up with me _ , because you,  _ want to be with her instead _ . that IS what you’re saying?”

“...yes?”

link doesn’t reply. he strides past pipit and enters the bazaar without a word. he’s going to ignore this problem until it goes away.

_ or, apparently, until it hits him in the face _ .

“link again? i apologize, here, let me help you up!” karane extends a hand to link, who is lying on the floor, clutching his poor face. as soon as he sees the hand, he takes it, and thanks her.

“you’re being weirdly kind, karane. aren’t you usually a little... huffy?”

“i resemble those words!” she huffs.

link snorts. “so, i just spoke to pipit, and he totally has a crush on you.” link feels zero remorse at letting the cat out of the bag.

“oh?” she seems flattered. surprised, too! “that explains the babbling! and all the weirdness!”

“and why he broke up with me!”

“yeah, that too!” karane looks at him sympathetically. “there are a lot of birds in the sky, link. don’t let it get to you.”

“i’m trying my best!” link says defensively.  _ he is!! _

“still, though. pipit has a crush on  _ me? _ whatever for?”

“well, you’re really pretty. and you have a nice voice, and”

“slow down there, flyboy. take it easy.”

“i’m going as slow as i can, karane!” link says with a bit of genuine humor. this conversation has taken a  _ turn _ . “and i’m just  _ sayin. _ go get him, tiger, or whatever!”

karane rolls her eyes at link’s goofs. “i’ll think about it. thanks for clearing this up, though, link!”

“don’t thank me yet!”

“okay, my thanks have been  _ revoked. _ ”

“you’re not welcome.”

when she leaves, he sighs and screams a little, for like, what, the third time since getting here? man, it’s been a Day.

he plops down at one of the tables to take stock of his adventure gear. he needs a new shield, and some more potions. while he’s at it, he should drop off some old junk that’s been taking up too much space, maybe catch up with the item-check girl (who’s always a blast to talk to, in a deadpan humor sort of way. or maybe she’s serious and link is misreading the situation. who knows!). there are things that he  _ should _ do, like repay his debt to the pumpkin man, help out around the town, and check in on his schoolmates, among other things. but time is of the essence. not only is an awkward, stressful situation brewing with pipit and karane, but zelda’s  _ out there somewhere _ , and so are evil things! terrible things! and ghirahim! he must make haste.

it takes him all of thirty minutes to become dive-ready. the second he reaches the plaza, he runs into none other than...

“groose? what are you doing loose?”

“listen you little loser.” groose gets in real close, planting a finger on link’s chest. “i don’t know what’s going on or where you keep disappearing off to, but promise me this”

“...yeah?”

“promise you’ll save zelda.” groose shakes him by the shoulders. “promise me you’ll bring her back safe.”

“that’s ... that’s the goal, dude.”

groose looks away, flustered. “of course! i knew that!” he punches link in what he probably thinks is a friendly manner, but it ends up being bruising all the same. “hopefully your dopey ass is up for the job.”

that’s as close to a  _ ‘good luck’ _ as link’s going to get from the larger boy. after that surprisingly friendly gesture, his spirits are sufficiently lifted that he doesn’t feel like flinging himself into the clouds just for the sake of it. now, he does it with  _ purpose _ .

“i promise.” link says sagely, before falling backwards off the wooden platform, grinning at the scowling face that appears over the edge to watch.

he hears nothing but the wind whistling in his ears, feels nothing but its cold bite through his clothes and hair. he’s  _ always _ loved the feeling of letting go like this.  _ ah, well. _ putting his fingers to his mouth and angling them just right, he unleashes a piercing whistle that summons his loftwing to catch him.

_ showtime _ .


	2. oh, i don't think so

“here, you sit in front. safer that way.”

“all right, i see...”

“what is it?”

“um... impa, not to be rude, but... what is this?”

impa finishes packing up her mount and fixes zelda with an intense gaze. “pardon?”

zelda looks and gestures to impa’s steed. “it’s like a loftwing, but... no wings...”

“this is a horse.” impa says carefully. “people ride them and use them for pulling things.”

“so, like a loftwing!” zelda snaps her fingers. “all right!”

“great. now, just step up here, and...” impa hoists the thin girl into the saddle. she quickly mounts after her and takes a hold of the reins. “HYAH!!!”

zelda makes a noise of surprise, but quickly falls into the ride’s rhythm. it’s really not all that different from a loftwing’s gait, but there is substantially less vertical movement. and wind. she figures it’s not quite as efficient a mode of travel as flying would be, but perhaps they’re less advanced down here. and anyways, it’s nice to have a companion at her back. it isn’t link, but she trusts impa for some reason. she’s scary, she has prison tattoos and a look in her eye like she’s seen some shit, but she strikes zelda as incredibly trustworthy. the mother she never had. or maybe a big sister? zelda shakes her head.  _ no, better not think about that sad shit. _

“where are we going?” zelda asks.

“WHAT?!?” impa yells over the horseback noises.

zelda turns her head to the side, talking as directly into impa’s ear as possible. “WHERE ARE WE GOING?!”

“goddess above, princess, you don’t have to shout at me!”

“but you -- nevermind.”

“we are headed someplace safe, to pick up a very important item.”

“wow! that’s not vague at all!” zelda grumbles. speaking up, she inquires, “how far do you figure we’ll have to ride?”

“oh, not far. a few hours at most.”

zelda nods, and settles in. it really isn’t that different from riding a loftwing. she tries not to think about it.

\---

though blistering cold and scorching desert, link treads alone.

“any particular reason why you’re falling on your face,  _ hero? _ ”

“this is...” link holds up a hand, “the THIRD time, this is happening to me, and” he swallows, “i’m not any more in the mood for your  _ bullshit  _ than i was the first time. i know how this goes. you promise not to murder me, and then try to murder me, then something happens and one of us gets distracted, and the fight ends. rinse, and, repeat.”

“well, i...” ghirahim bows low, “...promise not to murder you. for realsies this time.”

“great.” link hasn’t slept.

“now...” the demon lord teleportals all the way into link’s personal bubble. “i really can’t have you getting in my way again. i am...” he leans in  _ far _ too close, his hair tickling link’s ear. “this close. to bringing back my master.”

“that’s very close.”

“i know! you understand. thank you!”

“you’re... welcome?”

“i’m not going to kill you.”  _ how magnanimous. _ “i’m just going to... hurt you so bad you won’t be coming back, okay?”

“i’m gonna have to disagree with that last bit, my guy.” link sniffs, stepping away from the pajama-clad lord. “there’s nothing you can do to me that’ll stop me from rescuing zelda.”

ghirahim turns around huffing. “well! so be it! i always try to be so nice to you, but...”

link slides out his blade.

“did you just unsheathe your sword?” ghirahim whips back around lightning fast. “bad move!”

a blade manifests in the demon lord’s hands and the two begin to clash once more. link’s never been bad at this, and he’s only gotten better since this crazy adventure began. yet ghirahim continues to dance circles around him. he’s doing  _ flips and shit _ this time!

link gets a nick on his cheek from a blow sent sideways. ghirahim chuckles. legitimately  _ chuckles. _ “getting tired already, skyboy?”

“i came in here tired, jackass.” he growls. it’s  _ not  _ his day.

his opponent shrugs, launching back into the fight with the same fervor as before. “you’re making my job very easy, then.”

link’s frown only deepens. he fights until he drops, and the second he’s out, his opponent vanishes.

the temple’s exterior is quiet. the sun has long since set, and the stars shine brightly where they peek from between the clouds. there is a soft breeze blowing through the trees. somewhere off amongst them, a nocturnal bird calls out softly. the fountain above which ghirahim fizzles into existence trickles peacefully. its murky depths are a shining black, and would be otherwise beautiful if for the lack of  _ occupancy. _

“where.  _ is. THE.  _ **_PRINCESS?!!??_ ** ”

ghirahim’s shouts echo back off the fountain walls, and when they fade, the still scene continues to mock him. it  _ grinds on his nerves _ . 

“they were HERE, minutes ago!” he pops to the forest’s edge, then deeper, then deeper still, and there is no sign of them. “that DOG. that SCOUNDREL! that BASTARD of a woman!!” through his mind flashes, then, the visage of the one-loc wonder. he feels so angry that he throws up a little in his mouth. “HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i the only one that thinks impa looks like eminem and shadow the hedgehog had a kid, and that kid was an elf


	3. i have a bad feeling about this

link awakens sore and dusty on the cold stone floor. for a minute he has no idea where he is, before it all comes rushing back.

the temple. the fight.  _ ghirahim _ .

how long had he been out?

he pries his cheek off the floor, leaving a crust of dried blood in his wake.  _ that’s kinda gross and also not good _ , he surmises, reaching up to feel his cheek. it’s a papercut, but the wound drew a lot of blood. he puts it out of his mind for now. he whips out his impromptu dowsing rod to try and smell zelda, but after doing a full 360 and finding nothing, it’s not looking good. his sword pulses a glowing silver color.

“oh shit, orcs are nearby!”

‘ _ no, master, that’s not... _ ’ fi’s there to tell him to eat something. AGAIN.

“no, no, no, shut up, my sword can sense them!”

‘ _ please, master link! here, there’s _ ’ fi gestures towards his adventurer’s pouch with her foot, because she has no fucken arms. ‘ _ there’s a luna bar in your pack please eat something please. your hearts are so low. master, are you listening? _ ’

he isn’t. he’s escaping out the back door. fi trails after him uselessly.

“sick! a heart container!” he plucks the beating organ out of the morning air, stuffing the entire thing in his mouth and chewing with gusto. as soon as link swallows, his cuts are healed! his energy is replenished! he is no longer sore from lying on the floor all night!

‘ _ congratulations, master! _ ’ fi chirps, settling down in front of link with a spin. ‘ _ what shall we do now? _ ’

“now, we find those orcs...”

‘ _ no, master. no. no listen to me-- _ ’ she is sucked within the sword once more.

thankfully, link’s joking. mostly. he knows what comes next, and it isn’t hunting nasties. it’s saving zelda. which he has failed to do. again.

as if on cue, link remembers his promise to groose, and cringes.  _ he’s gonna kill me _ .

\---

groose doesn’t kill link. he does, however, get really,  _ really  _ fucking mad.

“when i said i promised, i didn’t say when! i’ll... i’ll get em next time!”

“ZELDA!!! IS OUT THERE!!!!!!! AND YOU!!! ARE NOT!!!!!!” groose’s steaming face rivals his hair for redness.

“i can explain, i--”

“FUCK!! OUTTA!!! HERE!!!!”

groose shoves link a tad more violently than absolutely necessary, and it sends him sprawling onto the wooden boards of the plaza platform. taking one last look at the other dude’s enraged face, link makes the final scramble and throws himself off the edge. after a quick summons, his bird is there and he makes a landing elsewhere in skyloft.

he’s tucking zelda’s sail away when he hears himself being addressed from afar.

“link! LINK! hey! YOO-HOO!”

it’s karane! talking to her can sometimes be a chore, but it’s better than the ass-kicking he’d sure be receiving if it were groose!

he notices her yellow-bellied companion.

_ pipit. _

“hey.  _ guys! _ ” link grinds out. he smiles a dangerous smile at their approach. and what an approach it is! he tries not to look at their joined hands. he tries so hard.

“you’re back again, i see...” karane notices.

link only nods, his smile turning uglier by the minute.

“link, i want to thank you so much for talking to her for me,” pipit addresses him with genuine cheer that makes his teeth grind even harder than before. the birdspert turns to the girl and laughs, “not making you my girlfriend sooner was a mistake!”

karane giggles nervously. she’s noticed link’s mood, while pipit seems to be oblivious. she nudges her boyfriend, seemingly prompting him for something.

“what is it? oh! yes! the stuff!”

_ stuff? is link about to be witness to some sort of bizarre drug deal?! _

“here you are...” pipit says, pulling something a jagged object out of his satchel. “a gratitude crystal, for your help!”

link accepts the shining offer with shaking hands. he feels just as pissed off as groose was about a minute ago. maybe he should go start a fight? something pings blue in the back of his mind, telling him  _ no, that would be a horrible idea, with a 99.69% chance of failure, master, really, you should know better! _

he wonders why his brain calls him master.

“thanks.” link says shortly. he hopes they can’t tell how much rage is currently boiling inside of him, but it doesn’t really matter because he’s already leaving. he shops, he takes his bird and he goes.

he has a good feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't going anywhere with this! just goes to show you should always have a plan, or E L S E


End file.
